VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's soccer team continues on the road this week with Gulf South Conference matchups at West Alabama and The University of Alabama in Huntsville.  The Blazers and the Tigers of UWA tangle on Friday evening at 6 p.m. ET in Livingston, Ala., followed by a Sunday afternoon matchup at 2 p.m. ET in Huntsville, Ala.
 
The Blazers enter with a 1-3-4 record overall and a 0-2-1 mark in GSC play following a 1-1 tie last Sunday at Trevecca Nazarene.  In that match, the Blazers had their chances for their first league win of the season and scored the opening goal, but conceded a score in the 76^th minute.  Blazer senior Katherine Kimmel had her first goal of the season 32:03 into the contest, ending a scoring drought of 369:03 minutes dating back to a 1-0 win at Georgia Southwestern on Sept. 14.  VSU held a 16-6 lead in shots at TNU on Sunday and freshman Rhyia Mitchell hit the cross bar in the 90^th minute of the contest.  
 
For the season, junior Taylor Youmans leads the team with two goals and has the one game winner.  She has 11 shots (.182) with five on target (.455).  Kimmel and sophomore Maria Rojas each have goals, while sophomore Anna Dandeneau has one assist on the year.  Rojas leads the team with 17 shots (.059) and has eight on target (.471).  In goal, senior Claire Timberlake leads the way with 696:24 minutes played, allowing 12 goals with 35 saves and a 1.55 goals against average.  She has two shutouts and has faced 86 shots.  
 
Blazer head coach Stephen Andrew is 67-56-18 as the winningest coach in Blazer women's soccer history in his ninth season at the helm of the program.  He is 51-37-11 in GSC play, while he is 207-111-27 all-time in 19 years of coaching including stops at Huntingdon College and Piedmont College.  
 
The Blazers and the Tigers are all square at 6-6-4 in 16 meetings.  UWA is 5-1-2 in the past eight meetings as the teams tied 0-0 last year in Americus, Ga., as the match was moved there from Valdosta due to Hurricane Helene.  The teams also tied in Valdosta 1-1 in 2023.  UWA won 2-1 in Livingston in 2022, scoring two goals just 87 seconds apart in the 83^rd and 84^th minutes for the win after VSU scored in the 20^th minute on a penalty kick.  UWA leads the series 4-2-1 in Livingston, Ala., as VSU has not won there since a 4-3 win on Sept. 17, 2017, in Andrew's first season at VSU.  
 
UWA enters with a 3-2-2 record overall and a 0-2-1 mark in GSC play.  The Tigers are coming off a pair of losses in a 2-1 setback at home versus Lee on Sept. 19, and a 1-0 loss at Montevallo on Sept. 24.  This season, the Tigers are led by Selis Demirci and Bailee Fairley who each have two goals on the year.  Demirci has a team-high 18 shots (.111) with three on target (.167) and one game winner, while Fairley has 14 shots and a team-high six on frame with two game winners.  Aileen Charles has one goal and one assist for third on the team in scoring.  Between the pipes, Yumari Hernandez has logged all 630 minutes, allowing just three goals (0.43 GAA) with 27 saves, five shutouts and has faced 70 shots.  
 
The Chargers enter at 4-2-1 overall and 2-1 in GSC play as they will host Auburn Montgomery on Friday, before entertaining the Blazers on Sunday.  UAH is coming off a 2-0 loss at Montevallo on Sept. 27, where UM scored two goals in a matter of 37 seconds in the second half and held a 20-8 lead in shots and 8-2 in shots on goal.  
 
UAH is led this season offensively by Adriana Rojas who leads the team with three goals.  She has seven shots (.429) and three on frame (.429).  Jayla Gillespie has one goal and a team-high three assists on the season, while Sabrina Da Silva and Katey Ann Klingel each have two goals.  Da Silva leads the team with 16 shots and four on goal, while Klingel is one of three players with a game winner (Carley White, Michella Tortelli).  In goal, CeCe Szopa leads the team playing in 520:12 minutes surrendering five goals (0.87 GAA) with 34 saves and two shutouts, while facing 91 shots.  Kacey Powell also has seen time in goal with four saves and one goal allowed in 109:48 minutes.
 
VSU leads the all-time series with UAH 8-6, but the Chargers have won the last three meetings, including a 3-2 win in Americus, Ga., last season as Gillespie scored in the 88^th minute, breaking a 2-2 tie.  UAH scored first for a 1-0 lead at halftime and the second half saw four goals, including one from Kimmel on a penalty kick as VSU took a 2-1 lead, before UAH scored in the 59^th minute and then the winner late in the match. UAH won 2-1 in Valdosta in 2023 and 1-0 in Huntsville in 2022.  The series is tied 3-3 in Huntsville as VSU last won there in 2019 in a 2-1 victory.
 
Following the matches this week, the Blazers return home for four-straight at home beginning Friday, Oct. 10, with a 7 p.m. kick versus Spring Hill College.